My STEP Signature Internship Project included several day-to-day responsibilities at the Lake Zurich, Illinois Astronics CSC location. Some of the tasks included generating pseudocode for system performance testing, running acceptance test protocols, and reviewing Python based acceptance test protocols. Outside of programming, I also helped maintain the System Integration Lab that I worked in and was given the opportunity to be part of the company’s weekly departmental meetings.
I think the major transformation that occurred following my STEP Internship was that I finally had no doubts and knew with certainty that I was on the right career path. In my sophomore year I struggled with the thought that maybe a software engineer wasn’t exactly what I wanted to do and now that I was entering my junior year, I knew I needed to have a more solid career plan. I imagined that coding would be a boring and isolated job involving endless hours of typing without much reward. My ideas about software engineering were transformed through the internship after being put on a team of coders, and meeting my boss, Mike O’Connor. I learned that most programmers will work together on a team and that once the code is successfully up and running there is a lot of satisfaction in knowing you played a part in the final outcome. This is very different from the experience I was left with when I was completing my programming homework assignments.
I didn’t know what to expect on the first day of my internship and so I was surprised how welcoming and supportive everyone was, especially the head of the software department Addison Merchut. Addison had a teaching background and made sure my work was appropriate to my skill level and yet challenging enough. He created a positive environment where I felt comfortable asking questions and making any decisions that were related to my work. I also gained a better understanding of how an engineering firm operates, including how responsibility is handled in the workplace. I got to experience firsthand how members on a team interact while working on an engineering project and how each person on the team has another person they report to until the project is completed. I learned that organization structure is key to a project’s success in terms of meeting deadlines and the final project outcome.
The very first programming project that I was assigned to during my internship was instantly transformational. Going into the project I thought I knew a decent amount about programming, but once I saw the code I was a bit overwhelmed with how complex it looked. For some reason, I believed the work would be fairly straightforward and I would be able to jump in and start programming the same way I approached my homework assignments. I then realized that I am going to have to fully immerse myself into the code and understand what each line not only does, but how it affects the rest of the project on a larger scale, meaning how it will control the machinery and electronics. I learned a lot and found the projects were an enjoyable challenge and one that helped revitalize my interest to continue to pursue a degree in computer science and to become a software engineer.
Another transforming experience was the first performance meeting that I sat in on. As previously mentioned, I had never experienced how responsibility is handled in the workplace. At the first meeting, I noticed how organized it was where each engineering department was broken up into its own section and each person took turns into outlining what they were going to work on for the next coming week. They would also provide an update with how far along they were with a previous project and then before moving on to the next person, they would provide a number 50-100% on how busy they were with the current projects they were assigned. If they provided a lower number, that meant they could take on more responsibility. I learned how valuable this type of organization model would be if I used it in my own group projects at school.
I finished the internship by summarizing my work in a PowerPoint presentation that explained Debian software packaging and how it would was a more efficient way to install software on new machines. This was a very different experience from my school presentations because those attending were not my peers, but adults ranging in age. Addison was very helpful in critiquing my slides and giving me guidance and support with the presentation and throughout the entire internship. Without this relationship I don’t think I would have had as successful of an internship experience.
This transformation is valuable for my life because I know that the major I selected in school is the right one. Also, working on real life assignments, attending meetings and interacting with co-workers in a professional setting was a confidence booster and I think it will help me to come across more experienced in an interview or business setting. The STEP internship was a great opportunity that I am grateful to have had and the skills I take away will help me find a job post-graduation. Thank you for this opportunity and giving us such a great start to our future.
